What about now?
by Leyton-equals-TrueLoveAlways
Summary: She never thought it would turn out like this.They were true love always.But somehow along the way,she had lost him and he had lost himself.Can they get past their mistakes to find each other again or will their past haunt them forever? Post 512 LEYTON
1. Chapter 1 : Broken

Chapter 1 : Broken

_**A/N:**__ This is just an idea that came to me when I heard about the wedding mess. This is how I imagine 513 going. This is just going to be a three, maybe a four parter if you guys like it._

She never thought life would turn out like this. I mean they were Lucas and Peyton right. They were meant to be. They were true love _always._

Always… that word stuck in her mind so she decided to take another swig of her drink as she tried to push the pain away. Somewhere, somehow along the way, _always_ turned into _never_. Her mind began to drift off, as she wondered where they went wrong. Sure she could pinpoint straight away _when_ it all fell apart.

_Peyton I love you. I want us to be together forever._

Oh how she wished she could take that night back and make it never happen. She loved him so much, but they weren't ready for marriage. She knew he was partly proposing because he was trying to hold them together but that was no way to start forever together. She wanted him to propose solely out of love and wanting to spend the rest of his life with her and although she knew that was part of it, there was also that other part.

She took another drink as her mind drifted back to that fatal day four weeks earlier. In all their time apart, she still honestly believed they would work out in the end. There was no one else she could picture spending the rest of her life with.

But obviously he felt different. She took one last swig of her drink.

"Owen, I'll have the same again" she sighed before her mind went back to the day her world crumbled to the ground. Sure it was falling apart for years now, but she could actually pinpoint the day, the moment, the very second even, that her heart broke into tiny pieces. It happened with him speaking two simple words, "I do". Now in theory that should make her the happiest girl in the world. When the man you are in love with, stands in a church, in front of family and friends and vows for forever, it should be the best news ever, and for anyone else it would be, but this was Peyton Sawyer. She never was the luckiest girl in the world, all you had to do was look at her past; two dead mothers, an absentee father and brother, a stalker and a school shooting were just a few of the tragic moments that made up her life. But all that change, when she was with him nothing else mattered. It was just Lucas and Peyton against the world and she felt she could face anything with him by her side. That was until he asked another girl to marry him.

Now he was gone. He was off sailing the high seas somewhere. Well in reality, Lucas Scott was gone out of her life a lot longer than that. He was gone for three years now, but the void, the gaping hole in her heart remained. In fact, if anything, the more time that past the greater that void got. She knew it was time to accept things for what they were. It was time to really and truly let go this time.

That was why she had gathered all the copies of his book that she owned, even her secret copies of the book he wrote about her, about them.

_Suddenly it was as if the roar of the crowd, the echo of the final buzzers, _

_the cheers of my team-mates were all sounding from 1,000 miles away, _

_and what remained in that bizarre, muffled silence was only Peyton. _

_The girl whose art, passion, and beauty had changed my life. _

_In that moment, my triumph was not a state championship, but simple clarity. _

_The realization that we had always been meant for each other _

_and every instinct to the contrary had simply been a denial of the following truth - _

_I was now and would always be in love with Peyton Sawyer._

She gathered all of them including the audio version he had made especially for her and the bound copy he had presented to her. It was his first printed copy and he wanted her to have it and no matter how long she had been trying, she had never been able to get rid of it. She gathered them, along with old pictures, concert tickets and even one of his t—shirts he had left behind all those years ago that she had never been able to bring herself to throw out, even though his scent had long since disappeared from it.

She had gathered everything and left them along with a note for Brooke, to do the one thing she knew she'd never be able to do herself. It was time for a new beginning and that started by letting go of the past. Peyton had asked her best friend, the one person who was truly therefore her through all this mess, to come join her once the job was done, so she could forget for a while before tomorrow she started the new chapter of her life. But tonight was about letting go and having a night to be the carefree twenty two year old she should be, and who better to do it with than her best friend.

That is why when she felt a familiar presence behind her; she smiled and waited for her to sit. But sadly she was mistaken as the person took a seat beside her.

"I'll have what she's having" he said to Owen as he nervously twiddled his thumbs.

A dead silence fell upon them as Peyton refused to acknowledge his presence and he struggled to find where to begin.

"Peyton I…"

"What are you doing here?" she sighed before taking another sip of her drink and keeping her gaze straight ahead. She couldn't look at him, looking at him always got her into trouble. He had a terrible knack of reading what she was thinking without her having to say a word and she didn't think she could handle that at the moment. So she kept her eyes on her now empty glass as she wondered how long it took to pour another.

Lucas nodded sadly. He deserved this, hell he deserved this and so much more. But he was back now and he was going to make things right. He had finally gotten his head together and he knew what he wanted. If he was honest he always knew, but now he was willing to fight for it, for her, for them. He was sick of giving up and accepting defeat when things got bad. It was time for him to be a man and step up to fight like hell to get what he wanted. "Brooke told me you'd be…"

"Not what I asked Lucas. What are you doing _here_?" Her walls were up and she'd be damned if she was going back to pretending everything was okay and act like his friend. They were never just friends. He had put her through hell for months and she was sick of pretending that was okay.

"I came back to…"

"You left" she whispered while interrupting him again.

"I know" he sighed. He had left _again_. The one thing he promised he'd never do. But that was going to change now.

"No Lucas, you don't know!" she snapped, turning to face him. "You left _again_. People always leave, I get that but I naively thought you were different"

"I am!"

"Actually Lucas, you are different" she nodded to him and he looked at her in confusion, fearing what she was going to say next. "You are worse" she replied before standing up and calling Owen to bring her drink already.

Lucas nodded sadly and stared at the bar. He was worse. She was right. Like everything else, she was right again. As Owen finally appeared and placed the drinks in front of them he grabbed his and drank it in one go, the liquor stinging his throat as it went down and he welcomed it. "Same again and one for my… one for her" he sighed. _When had they become so messed up?_ He figured it was about time he let a few things go and tried to move on, even if moving on to the unknown scared the hell out of him. Three years was far too long to be living a lie. "I was wrong"

Peyton turned and looked at him. "Lucas you don't need to justify anything to me" she replied coldly, as if she meant nothing in his life. "You got engaged to the woman you love, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just sorry she left."

There was silence for a minute as Owen returned, silently placing their drinks in front of them before leaving again. "I guess it just proves your theory again" he said quietly.

They sat there for a while just staring at their drinks both lost in thought.

He decided he needed to get out what he was trying to say earlier. "I was wrong…"

"Lucas you've already said that. No need to relive it again"

"Peyton stop!" he sighed and turned to face her once more with a determined expression on his face. It was time he owned up to his part in this. "That's not what I meant… well I was wrong for that too, but…. I was wrong. Three years ago, when I asked you to marry me, you asked me to wait and I broke my promise to you."

_I love you Peyton. I came back for you and no matter how long it takes I'll wait for you._

Peyton sat there speechless. She took a drink as she thought about this. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

As if he could read her thoughts he spoke again. "You were right. Three years ago, when I proposed, even though I loved you and wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, we weren't ready."

"Luke it doesn't…"

"No Peyton, please I need to say this" he said and waited for her to nod before he continued. "When I proposed, we weren't ready. I proved that by my actions afterward. You never said no, I realise that now. I was just childish. My pride was hurt and instead being a man and accepting your valid reasons to wait, I left and made myself believe our break up was totally your fault because you said no. But while I was away for the last few weeks I had time to think, I mean really think. I finally decided to stop hiding and living in denial. For so long I have been angry with you for something that never happened. You said yes, you just wanted to wait and I broke my promise" he sighed as he finally got the courage to look her in the eye and the sight before him, shocked him. She was crying. "Oh Peyton I…. I'm s…. Damn I'm doing it again. I swore this had to stop!" he scolded himself. Returning home he promised he'd stop hurting her. He used to be the one who always saved her but now it began to feel like maybe he was the one she needed saving from.

"Lucas no, it's okay" she said as she wiped her tears and smiled at the confused look on his face. "Do you know how long I've waited to here you say this?"

"Too long. Peyton I still love you. I never stopped" he admitted as he fought every muscle in his body from leaning over and wiping the tears streaming down her face. _How had he let it get to this?_

She wiped at her tears and straightened up. "I can't… I can't do this Lucas. It's too late. I have to let go" she spoke quickly as she gathered her bag and coat.

"It's never too late" he said as he gently grabbed her hand, causing her to face him. "We're true love always remember"

She couldn't help but smile back. He always had a way to lighten even the darkest situation. But then flashes of Lucas and Lindsey at the wedding raced through her mind. "Maybe love just isn't enough"

"It has to be. Peyton I love you"

Suddenly anger raced through her body and she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "That's funny, because only four weeks ago you were standing in a church saying 'I do' to another woman!" she said before storming out of the bar, leaving Lucas standing there with everyone staring at him. _I guess I deserved that_ he conceded before leaving the bar aswell. Deciding against a cab, he began his long walk home just as the heavens began to open and it poured. _Just perfect_ he sighed as he pulled up his collar. _He guessed he deserved that also_.


	2. Chapter 2 : Used To

Chapter 2 : Used To

After that night a lot of things changed. Four weeks had passed since that night. Four weeks where they didn't talk. She knew he was still in town because hell it was tree hill. You couldn't hide much in this town. But that's all she knew. He hadn't tried to contact her; he hadn't bothered her with constant calls and visits, which she should have been happy about. But she wasn't. _Damn that Lucas Scott!_ As much as she wanted to believe she hated him, she just couldn't and there was no point kidding herself. But Peyton Sawyer was nothing if not a fighter, so here she was, still standing. Sure she was tired of fighting but this time she wasn't going to fall apart for him. No matter how much she loved him, life goes on, and she had a lot left to live for.

In the past few weeks she had been in the recording studio with Mia, working on her new album which was turning out pretty well even if she said so herself. It was almost done. Almost being the key word.

She had spent days and days trying to figure out the missing piece that would make it perfect, but as of yet she had nothing.

Suddenly the vibrating of her phone caught her attention, alerting her to a text.

_Come on P Sawyer. You can't keep doing this. _

_It's time to come home. Work will still be there tomorrow._

She knew Brooke was right. She should go home and she would have, if she felt she had one. Brooke was great and everything, but staying with her just didn't feel like she was home. She felt like a guest. She just wanted to stand on her own two feet and prove to everyone that she could do it. But most importantly she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it.

She turned on the stereo, hoping for a sign, something to tell her she was doing the right thing. She knew the easy thing to do was to stay with Brooke but she couldn't help but think maybe it was time to fight through the hard times to try and gain something better. There had to be a better life than this, out there for her. But was it worth the fight?

That was when the song playing on the radio caught her attention.

_It's my life – by Bon Jovi_

She smiled as she listened to the familiar lyrics. It was a sign and she was taking it. She turned off the radio, grabbed her keys and left.

"Thanks mom's" she whispered into the night sky before she drove off in her comet with the first sign of a real smile she'd felt in a long time.

--

He sat in his car and smiled. He had been mindlessly driving around for hours, trying to find some peace, some sign of where he should go from here. He was lost; in all honesty he had been lost for quiet sometime. He just wished he knew what to do to fix it. Without realising where he was, he pulled into the car park and turned on the radio. He decided he wasn't doing a very good job at making choices in his life at the moment, so he decided to leave it to fate. He silently prayed to god and Keith to give him a sign, something to guide him.

Suddenly in that moment, that moment of clarity, a vision appeared across the street and walked towards her car with a smile on her face, the first smile he'd seen on her in a long time. He finally realised what he had to do.

Yes, her walls were built up, higher than they ever were in fact, but he couldn't blame her. He was an ass. Hell, he loved that woman and he treated her like dirt. In that moment he never felt more ashamed in his entire life. _When had he turned into such a cruel nasty person?_ It was a question he wished he had the answer to but he didn't. All he knew was that he was an ass and he was going to make some changes to fix that.

Somewhere along the way he had lost himself and hurt the people closest to him. In that moment it hit him like a tone of bricks he was turning into the one thing he vowed never to become, he was turning into the only person he ever truly hated. He, Lucas Scott was turning into his father, Dan Scott.

His mind raced, his breathing increased rapidly as he gripped onto the steering wheel. He had become Dan Scott, a cold-hearted bastard who hurt everyone around him because he couldn't admit his own mistakes.

In that cold, dark deserted parking lot, even though it seemed to take a life time, it was better late than never, Lucas Scott had another moment of clarity. Sure he had already realised he was in the wrong, but in that cold parking lot he realised something else, something just as important.

He was, now and would always be IN LOVE with Peyton Sawyer, and he was willing to do whatever it takes to prove it to her.

He knew it wouldn't be easy. Peyton Sawyer was a tough cookie who let no one walk all over her, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He had treated her, the woman of his dreams unforgivably and he just hoped that she was a better person than he was, and could forgive him sometime soon. Actually he knew she was a better person than he was. He didn't deserve anything from her, so he was going to fight, fight like hell to get her back, even as a friend. He needed her in his life.

He didn't work properly without her and that wasn't the romantic in him talking, that was a cold hard fact. In the time they had been apart he had turned into someone he didn't even recognise. He had been going through the motions, doing whatever it took to survive, including cutting of the link from his heart to his brain. His heart had been closed off and ignored for three years now and all that managed to achieve was to leave a trail of broken hearts and lost dreams.

It was finally time to start cleaning up the mess he made.

He went home that night but he couldn't sleep. His mind raced with what he needed to do. His thoughts were in overdrive as he tossed and turned all night. Finally at four am he resigned himself to the fact that sleep wasn't his biggest fan either at the moment so he decided to clear his head and go for a drive. He dug out his favorite Keith's body shop hoodie from the back of his closet, needing something to remind him of better days. He also grabbed a pen and paper before heading out the door.

Without thinking of where he was driving he arrived at his destination. He pulled up at the curb, grabbed the notepad and pen, and walked to that famous spot on the beach.

As his sat in the familiar place, his mind drifted back to simpler times.

_Looks like it's just you and me this summer……. Will you stay with me?_

That night was the night he realized she was the one person he could really rely on when times got hard. Sure he had his mom and other friends and even Keith back then, but when times got really hard she was the one he could trust. How had he lost sight of that? She had always been his one.

_It's always going to be there you and me._

No matter how much they tried to deny it, it was always there under the surface, and five years later it seemed like he still hadn't learned to accept it.

He had finally accepted a few things though; one of them being that he had a bad habit of running from her or them when things got hard.

Every relationship he had, failed and most of them were unknowingly down to Peyton. It's not like Peyton actively did anything to ruin them, hell he didn't even do anything; it was just there. _He was, now and would always be in love with Peyton sawyer._ So he had a failed wedding under his belt all because his pride was hurt years ago and he had no one to blame but himself.

Truthfully, he knew Lindsey and him were doomed from the start. He had spent years trying to let go of Peyton and nothing worked, she was still there buried beneath the surface. But Peyton had hurt him, hurt him like no one else could, Lindsey included. That's why he had to convince himself she said no. Her 'someday' had hurt him more than he'd ever admit, but not because of her answer, but also his own question. He knew they weren't ready and he still did it. After he left that fatal night, it hurt too much to know he could have prevented their break-up, so he did the only thing he could think of. He told himself all this happened because she said no. He thought if he repeated it enough it would be true.

Starting a relationship with Lindsey was another foolish decision to add to the list. Lindsey was a nice girl. A little naive maybe, or foolish, but she didn't deserve this. He had hurt her all because of his stubbornness. If he had just waited, he and Peyton would be happily married by now, maybe even with a baby on the way. But he had ruined all that.

Now he had hurt her worse than he could have ever hurt anyone, Dan included. He had torn her to pieces and he couldn't believe she was still standing. She was a fighter and he loved her for it but she didn't deserve this. She deserved the best, and he wasn't it. Right now, he wasn't anywhere close. But that was going to change.

Suddenly he felt the urge to write, he didn't know what he was writing, but the words spilled onto the page nonetheless.

By morning, he was finished and he'd never felt so at ease, so peaceful in a long time. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He remained at the beach for a while after, just enjoying the sunset, before he set off on his mission. He had somewhere to be, something to drop off before the world woke to start a new day again.

After he'd finished, he went home and slept, he slept the most peaceful sleep he had in a long long time. He had finally done something right. It wasn't enough by any means, but it was a start. He just hoped she read it instead of destroying it.

--

Peyton was just heading out the door when she saw a letter addressed to her in the mail. She knew that hand writing anywhere.

She dropped her keys back on the hall table, suddenly this letter being more important than her record studio time with Mia.

She fought with herself for a minute, whether or not to open it, but in the end there was only one option.

She took a seat on the coach and got herself comfy, before opening the letter. It had no note, no nothing, just a simple sheet of what seemed to be a poem of some sort. She took a breath before reading.

_I've never written a love song  
that didn't end in tears._

_Maybe you'll rewrite my love song  
if you can replace my fears._

_I need your patience and guidance  
and all your loving and more._

_When thunder rolls through my life  
Will you be able to weather the storm?_

_There's so much I would give ya, baby  
If I'd only let myself._

_There's this well of emotions  
I feel I must protect._

_But what's the point of this armor  
If it keeps the love away, too?_

_I'd rather bleed with cuts of love  
Than live without any scars._

_Baby, can I trust this?  
Or do all things end?_

_I need to hear that you'll die for me  
Again and again and again._

_So tell me when you look in my eyes  
Can you share all the pain and happy times._

_'Cause I will love you for the rest of my life._

_This is my very first love song  
That didn't end in tears._

_I think you re-wrote my love song  
for the rest of my years._

_I will love you for the rest of my life._

As she finished reading, tears had spilled down her face and she struggled to keep herself together as her hands shook. That was the most wonderful thing anyone had ever written and it was written to her, _about her._ It didn't take a scientist (or a comet for that matter) to figure out who wrote it. She finally knew what was going on in Lucas Scotts heart, but where did they go from here?

_**A/N So that's it for part two. There are only two or three chapters left so please review and tell me what you think.**_


	3. Chapter 3 : It's Not Over

Chapter 3: **It's not over**

_I was blown away  
What could I say  
It all seemed to make sense.  
Your taking away everything  
And I can't do without._

_I've taken all I can take  
And I cannot wait  
We're wasting too much time  
Being strong, holding on  
Can't let it bring us down_

She sat at her desk with the piece of paper clenched in her hand, the very same piece of paper that had plagued her thoughts for days. All she could think about was Lucas and what he wrote. She had waited so long for him to open up to her but now he had, she didn't know what to do.

She had been so caught up with it, even Brooke had noticed she was acting differently and began to worry. But Peyton just couldn't seem to open up to her about it.

The truth was she couldn't put into words what was going on, even if she wanted to.

So she did the one thing she did best; she shut everyone out. She had unconsciously been avoiding people by staying at the office and burying herself in her work. She needed time to herself to figure some thing's out without having any interruptions. She knew people would want to know what was going on with her and she simply wasn't ready for that yet.

Unfortunately none of that could get her out of this. It was Jamie's birthday. In the time that had passed when Lucas was gone, she had looked after him for Nathan and Haley while they were at work. She had become a stand in nanny for the few weeks it took for Nathan and Haley to find a new one, in which time she and Jamie had grown incredibly close. She had formed a bond with that little boy so no matter how awkward things were between her and Lucas, she had to be there.

--

From the moment they saw each other, there had been an awkward tension between them. She tried to ignore it by greeting the birthday boy and playing with him but it seemed like Lucas had this radar whenever she was in the same room. His eyes would always find her; she could somehow feel him watching her without ever looking up. Instinctively though, she would glance around, meeting his eyes and he'd smile nervously before he'd look away like a little boy who'd got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

The worst part was that having his eyes on her, made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. She didn't know how to react around him anymore so she did the only thing she could think of. She continued to avoid him at all costs. And for a few hours that worked very well.

But it seemed five years olds were a lot cleverer than Peyton gave them credit for. Lily and Jamie seemed to be up to something and all she could figure out was it involved both her and Lucas, she just hoped it involved them separately.

The problem was James Lucas Scott seemed to have inherited more from his mother than brains. He also liked to meddle. He continuously asked both Lucas and Peyton to do things for him, things that somehow needed both of them; even though they didn't. It only took one flash of his puppy dog eyes to get them to agree; which in turn led to them finally talking.

"I still love you" he sighed while he watched her talk to Chester before putting back where he belonged after looking for him for a good half an hour.

She turned and looked at him in surprised. She didn't know what to say. This wasn't the best time or place for this.

Then again they never were good with timing.

"I love you too Lucas, you know that. But…" she sighed as she struggled to find the words.

"Maybe we could…" he interrupted her. He needed her to listen to him. He needed to convince her he wanted them and he was in it for the long hall this time.

But before he could finish what he wanted to say, he noticed another man competing for Peyton's attention.

"Peyton!" Jamie said as he came running into his room.

"Yes little man….."

"I just wanted to tell you I'm going to miss you this much" he said as he widened his hands as far apart as his little body allowed.

"I'm going to miss you too" she sighed. This was not how she planned on telling him. As she looked up at him, she could see his mind racing.

"Will you come and play with me?" Jamie asked innocently, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Sure little man. How about I meet you down stairs in a while? I just need a minute with your uncle Lucas first."

He thought about it for a minute. "Okay, meetya down stairs. Hey Uncle Lucas, bye Uncle Lucas"

She smiled as she watched him run off before she turned her attention to the older Scott who was still trying to wrap his head around this new information.

He slowly sat on the bed and looked at her curiously. "Why… why's he going to miss you?"

"I'm leaving"

He nodded for a moment and began fiddling with a toy on the bed awkwardly. "Oh okay. Leave it to Haley's son to be a drama queen" he laughed nervously, "You'll see him again tomorrow, at Lily's party, right?" _She was just leaving the party. That's all it means, right?_

She groaned and turned her attention to her feet as she tried to find the right words. This wasn't how she pictured this happening. In truth, she hoped not to have to do it at all. But here they were. "Actually this was kind of a party for both of them"

"No we're having Lily's tomorrow at…" he may have realized his mistakes and was trying to change, but he was still the master at denial.

"No Lucas, for me this party was for both of them. Mia's tour starts tomorrow" she sighed as she slowly turned and studied his expression.

"So?" he needed to hear her say it. He knew what she meant but he refused to believe it.

"I'm leaving Lucas. Mia's going on tour tomorrow and I'm going with her"

"NO!!" _This wasn't happening_ he kept telling himself_._

Peyton was shocked at his reaction. She had rehearsed this many times in her head and never once had it played out like this. "Yes Lucas… I'm leaving in the morning for three months"

"But… but… I… " _I_ _love you_

Or at least that's what he should have said but instead a voice called from down the hall to stop him. "Lucas, come on, come play"

Peyton smiled sadly as Lily's came into view. "You should go"

He looked between two of the women in his life. "But…"

"Go on Lucas I'll see you when I get back" she smiled sadly as she realized she had no idea when that would be. She was leaving and that was all she knew anymore._  
_

--

The rest of the day past in a blur for Lucas. He vaguely remembered an awkward encounter with Lindsey which lasted about five minutes and consisted of hello, goodbye and that she had passed his new book onto a colleague who would be working with him from now on. All he could do was nod. His mind wasn't there. He knew he should care. This was his career after all. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered if _she _wasn't going to be there to share it with.

He knew he had no right to ask her to stay, no right at all but the thought of loosing her again was too much to handle. He just needed a way to fix it. He needed her in his life.

_  
My life with you means everything  
So I won't give up that easily  
_

As Lucas played pass the parcel with all the children, Peyton looked over and their eyes met. He smiled at her and she quickly looked away. She couldn't let him back in just like that, no matter how much she wanted to. She needed to start doing things for herself and be selfish for a while before she could ever be with anyone again, even Lucas.

As Jamie tried to blow out his candles and everyone watched him with great interest, their eyes met across the crowded room and this time the gaze lingered for a few seconds before they both looked away feeling slightly embarrassed.

Finally as Lucas carried a sleeping Jamie up the stairs later that evening, he bumped into his blonde friend. Their eyes locked once more and he smiled before stepping aside to let her pass. As she walked by, her arm brushing against his, causing that unmistakable feeling again. Some things are undeniable.

--

Later that night they both sat in armchairs in houses at the opposite ends of town and wondered. They wondered about each other; their past, where they stood right now and most importantly they wondered about their future.

She knew she had to go. She had to do this for herself. But she still wondered.

He knew she had to leave. She had to do this for herself and he couldn't hold her back from her dreams. But he still wondered.

_Blowing away blowing away  
Can make this something good?  
Cause it's all misunderstood?_

Lucas stood at the doorstep and stared at his hands. She was leaving for months on tour. She was leaving and for some strange reason he felt at peace with that. He placed the package on the doorstep and left.

A few minutes and a short text message later, Peyton stood at the doorway and opened it nervously.

She quickly realised she was alone on the porch and for some reason her heart sank.

That was until a package at her feet caught her attention. She looked around curiously before she slowly picked up the box and aimlessly walked inside.

As she opened the package a grin appeared on her face. She took out one of the cookies and placed it in her mouth. She glanced at the little note attached.

_Peyton,_

_I couldn't get them to taste quiet as good as yours did. _

_Then again I never could. _

_I'm so proud of you Peyton. You're still destined for greatness, I truly believe that. _

_I love you, always have, and always will. Just remember I'll be right here waiting when you get back._

_Love Aways,_

_Lucas_

Peyton smiled as she held the note close to her chest and a lone tear spilled down her cheek.

--

The next morning as she was prepared her last few things before leaving, she stopped off at his house, leaving a note and a package attached to his door.

_Thank you. The cookies were the best cookies I've ever had… well second best anyway._

_I think this belongs to you. I never could get rid of it. Think of me when you listen to it. _

_I'll miss you but I have to do this._

_I guess this is our thing, waiting._

_Love always,_

_Peyton_

He re-read the note many times before placing the attached c.d. into his stereo. As the music filled the room tears spilled down his face. Even after all that had happened she had still kept it, she'd never lost faith in them. How had he been so blind?

He grabbed a bag, a few necessities and ran to the door. He may not have all the answers but one this was for sure, he was sick of waiting.

--

She took one last look around the place she would always call home, before placing her final bag into the baggage compartment and headed for the entrance to the bus. She suddenly felt really sad.

Sure she loved him, sure he had said he loved her but was that really enough? She didn't know anymore and that scared her more than she cared to admit. But she couldn't let it rule her life anymore. Her career was finally on track. Something was going good in her life, she should concentrate on that.

That's what she kept telling herself as she began walking onto the bus.

"Room for one more?"

Her heart raced as she quickly turned to look at him. First she was completely shocked, and then came the curiosity.

"Wh… what?" she stuttered nervously.

"Room for one more?" he asked her again with a smile as he gestured to his bag.

She stood there for a moment without reacting and Lucas suddenly felt like a fool. _Maybe this was too much. Maybe she didn't want this. God I'm an idiot…_

"For you, always" She grinned, snapping him out of his thoughts in just enough time to drop his bags and catch her as she ran into his arms and he twirled her around.

_Lets start over  
Its not over  
This love is killing me  
But your the only one  
It's not over_

There was no kiss, no romantic gesture. There was just a huge embrace between two people who were madly in love with each other and were done hiding from it. They still had some obstacles to overcome and they had to learn about each other all over again. But the key was they were willing to make it work. They finally realized their love was worth the fight. Nothing else mattered.

_**A/N so that's it. I plan on doing an epilogue if you guys want to read it. Reviews are love ;)**_


	4. Question for the readers

I just got a review on one of my stories asking me to continue with it. I was curious to know would people be interested in reading if I continued with them?


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